Sunday, March 30, 2008

The Stories of John Cheever by John Cheever, 1979

This book is a must-have for the short-story aficionado's' library. The majority of stories are well-written with great humor, imagery, irony, tragedy - you name it. Some knowledge of Cheever's background and life gives perspective to his flavor of Americana depicted in these vignettes.

I recommend reading this book at leisurely pace or considering reading a novel simultaneously. It contains over 60 stories in 700 pages, and to read them in rapid succession can be tedious.